This invention relates generally to fitting golf clubs, and more specifically, to a method and system of determining the optimum club dimensions and configurations based on a recorded image of a golfer swinging a trial club.
All golfers may aspire to have the perfect swing. However, the fact remains that there are many differences between the way any two people swing a golf club. Some of the differences arise from a person's physical traits, which include height, arm length, posture, and build. However, there are nearly infinite stylistic variations, including stance, amount of knee bend, arm position, hand position, gripping location, and the mechanics of swing motion.
Presently, there is a wide variety of commercially available golf club designs and sizes. Club manufacturers offer selections of unique head shapes, shaft flexibility levels, material compositions, grip thicknesses, club weights, lengths, and lie angles. Properly fitted clubs for the individual golfer can significantly assist a golfer in making an accurate, consistent shot.
It has been difficult for a golfer purchasing new clubs to find the best fit to meet his or her personal characteristics. When purchasing a new set of clubs, a golfer first selects a preferred manufacturer and model. The purchaser then may be fitted with the proper size club of that model to ensure compatibility and effective use.
Two key parameters in the club fitting process are the club length and head-to-shaft angle. Each has a strong influence on the accuracy of ball flight. For good distance and distance control, a golfer must hit balls consistently and solidly in the center of the club face where the center of gravity of the club head is located. A club that is too short will result in hits from the toe of the club. Alternatively, a club that is too long will result in hits from the heel of the club. Similarly, for good directional control, the head-to-shaft angle must correspond to a lie angle where the club is level when it impacts the ball. A head-to-shaft angle that is too great results in off-center hits toward the heel, sending the ball toward the right (for right-handed golfers). A head-to-shaft angle that is too small results in off-center hits toward the toe, sending the ball toward the left.
In the past, fitting length and head-to-shaft angle has often been performed based on generic charts and measurements, or based on a trial and error process using clubs that the particular retailer has in present inventory. An example is the use of a golfer's fingertip-to-ground measurement to determine club length. This method does not tailor a club to the particular golfer's swing and its dynamics, nor find the optimum fit. Moreover, a set of clubs which is fitted based solely upon physical characteristics does nothing to accommodate the stylistic characteristics of the individual golfer.
Trial and error are rarely effective since length and lie angle are interrelated, and simply trying several clubs that the particular retailer has in stock at the time will not find the best combination without fortunate coincidence. For instance, a typical model of club has about five possible lengths and about five possible head-to-shaft angles. Few retailers have all the combinations in stock. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that while golfers may subjectively tell from a few swings whether a new club feels right to them, they can not tell whether the club is in fact the correct fit to maximize performance over time.
Another method of fitting golf clubs involves the use of impact tape, which can also provide inaccurate results. In this method, tape is placed on the sole or face of a club to record the contact locations. The golfer then hits a ball that is placed on a rigid deflection board. Impact against the rigid surface leaves a mark on the tape on the sole of the club that can indicate if the lie angle is too flat or too upright upon impact. Impact against the golf ball leaves a mark on the tape on the face of the club that can indicate if the club is too long (impact on heel) or too short (impact on toe). Unfortunately, this method requires the club to strike a rigid surface, the force from which deflects the club. The configuration of the club is thereby altered from the true swing that would be experienced by a golfer when playing on a golf course. The fit is therefore inaccurate.
Further, previous methods fit a golfer for one or two clubs, then extrapolate those results to all clubs in a set using normalized patterns. An extrapolation, however, precludes accounting for any variation in swing characteristics that an individual golfer may exhibit when using different clubs.
Thus there is a need to find the optimum combination of golf club length and head-to-shaft angle for individual golfers with a method that does not affect the swing nor influence the results sought to be measured.